Agrobusinesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An enterprise engaged in the production, marketing, and distribution of agricultural products and services
2. A business focused on the agricultural sector, covering aspects from farming to retail of food and related supplies
3. A commercial operation that integrates various agricultural ventures, including farming, processing, and sales of food products

Etymology: "Agrobusinesses" is simply the plural of "agrobusiness," so the story lies in the parts. The first element, "agro-," is a combining form drawn from Greek "agros," meaning field or land, the same root that gives us "agriculture" and "agronomy." The second element is the ordinary English word "business," which here carries its sense of a commercial enterprise. Put together, the compound names a commercial operation organized around farming: growing, processing, selling, and shipping food and fibre on an industrial scale. The pairing is a modern formation, built from familiar parts rather than inherited from an older term, so the compound reads transparently in a way many technical words do not.

Synonyms: agricultural enterprises, farm businesses, agribusinesses